Lost
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: AU. Before CC. Prozen decides not to take Raven after finding him alone while chasing the black Organoid. Shadow finds Raven alone in the desert and adopts him. After years of hiding, the Imperial troops are closing in. Will they find them? Please R & R!
1. Discovery and Bonding

**AN-** Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yeah, this is my first side project to _**The Ghost and the Raven**_. This is one of my favorite ever fics, and I think you'll love it, too. This one-shot is basically about what might have happened if Prozen, after finding Raven, decided not to take him back with him, and what might have happened if Shadow, after just being released, stumbled, literally, across the young human. Let's just say that things are going to get quite funny. ;) Lol. This is the kind of fic that will make you laugh hysterically for hours on end, and go 'awe'. Lol. Hope y'all like it!! Without further delay, here's Lost!

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_**.:Lost:.**_

Prozen glared down at the small ebony-haired child he had found, trying to decide whether or not if he should take him. He was very thin, and was covered in scrapes and bruises; he looked like he was about to fall over from exhaustion. The gun the child was pointing at him shook in his small hands, and it looked like he was going to drop the heavy pistol at any moment. The child, Raven, as he had called the boy earlier, didn't move, and frankly he looked like he wouldn't be able to take another step before collapsing.

'_Kid can barely hold the gun up, let alone be any use to me…'_ Prozen made up his mind, turning away from the child, that couldn't have been more than six, as he heard a report come on the radio from the jeep.

"Sir! I believe we have found the Organoid! He's near your position and moving fast!! You need to hurry if you want to intercept him!" one of the scouts said, his voice cracking and fading through the radio's poor signal.

"Good work!! Send me the coordinates and we'll intercept." Prozen said through his radio, getting back into the jeep.

"What about the boy?" Harding asked, casting a glance at the small child.

"He's no use to us, now hurry! We need to catch that Organoid!" Prozen yelled, narrowing his red eyes. Harding nodded and pulled a U-turn, speeding off towards the open desert, leaving Raven coughing in the dust.

* * *

Raven wiped the dust from his eyes after the sand settled. He looked down at his feet and bent down, picking up the gun that he had taken from the Gustav's cockpit. _'I might need this, in case I see a cougar or something…'_ he thought, looking at the heavy weapon in his hand. _'… or if that big Organoid comes after me…'_ he added mentally, remembering what the man on the radio had said.

'_If the Organoid is nearby, it might come after me… I need to find somewhere to hide…'_ Raven thought, casting a nervous glance up at the sky. The Organoid, the one that man had released, terrified him, it was really big and mean looking, and it have dove at him with its talons spread, like it had wanted to grab him and carry him off somewhere, after it had been released.

The sound of a rock falling made him jump, and he turned quickly, scared the Organoid had found him. Fortunately, it was just a large raven, which spread its wide shadowy wings and cawed loudly, flying up into the pale desert sky. As soon as the large bird was out of sight, Raven started to walk further into the canyon, opposite the way the white-haired man had gone.

'_I hope there is a cave or something, I need to find somewhere to hide and spend the night…'_ he thought, slowly walking further into the canyon. It was getting really hot, and Raven was starting to feel dizzy. His vision started to get blurry, and his stumbled slightly, pain washing over him from a headache. He brought his hand up to his forehead, trying to ease the pain in his head, but it was no use. The gun slipped from his hand, falling to the stone with a loud _clunk_, and he fainted.

* * *

Shadow flew as fast as he could, trying to outrun the soldiers in their Zoids. At the moment he was ahead, but they were starting to gain on him. _'What do they want from me?!'_ Shadow thought, looking back at the soldiers. He looked back forward and screamed, for one of the Zoids, a Guysack, had gotten in front of him and had a net in its pincers, waiting for him to fly into it.

Shadow pulled up, narrowly avoiding the net. The Zoids pursuing him, however, were so focused on him they ran right into the Guysack, creating a pile-up. Shadow snickered and circled the wreck, before winging off towards a canyon to hide. _'Good… this canyon is a dead-end, which means they probably won't look in here, and that usually means that there will be caves…'_ Shadow thought, smirking as he flew deeper and deeper into the wide, sand-bottom canyon.

He must have flown for the better part of an hour, when he saw something down on the valley floor. Curious, Shadow started to circle, like a Reiniger Organoid over its wounded prey. He slowly glided down to the canyon floor, landing silently on the sandy stone. He shook the sand from his armor and retracted his wings, yawning loudly, for the flight had left him exhausted.

Shadow looked down at the object in question, and couldn't believe what he saw- a young boy, no older than six, unconscious on the sandy ground. _'Why is a little human hatchling all the way out here?'_ Shadow thought, cocking his head at the human. He growled softly as he leaned down, gently licking the boy's face, trying to wake him up.

The boy groaned and opened his eyes slightly, blinking several times. Shadow growled again, and the boy's gaze met his. The boy became very pale, and his breathing stopped; he looked as if he had seen the Death Saurer. Just as Shadow opened his mouth again, the boy screamed; which startled Shadow and made him scream as well and leap backwards.

The boy scrambled to his feet, staring wide-eyed at him. Shadow's circuits were still racing, and he tried to calm down. The boy slowly started to back away from him, but Shadow took a step towards him, growling softly in an attempt to calm the child down. The boy looked down at his feet and ducked down, fumbling with something shinny.

Shadow cocked his head at the unknown object, until the object revealed itself to be a gun when the child lifted it up and aimed it directly at him. Shadow snarled and lunged, plucking the gun from the child's hands with a deft snap of his jaws. Growling, he crushed the weapon, crunching it up in his powerful jaws. The boy became even more pale (if that was even possible) and stared at him, his violet eyes wide with fear as Shadow spit the chewed-up gun out onto the ground.

"Its okay, no need to be scared, I'm not going to hurt you…" Shadow said softly to the shaking human, trying to calm him down. The boy just looked at him, eyes filled with fear. _'Why doesn't he just settle down? Oh… right… he doesn't understand me… duh…'_ Shadow mentally slapped himself, remembering that humans couldn't understand the Organoid language.

Suddenly, the boy bolted to the left, running further into the canyon. Shadow roared and spread his wings, flying up into the air to follow him. _'I really must've scared that poor kid… I need to find some way to show I'm not a threat…'_ Shadow struggled to think, but was unable to come up with a way to prove his harmlessness to the boy.

The boy ducked under an overhang, hiding in an indent about six feet deep and seven feet across. The entrance was slightly low, only around three feet high, and that meant that Shadow would have a hard time reaching him. Shadow glided down and landed before the overhang, roaring as he retracted his blood-colored wings. He leaned down so he could look in at the child, growling quietly. The boy was back as far as he could go, pressed against the back wall, looking at him like he was some sort of a bloodthirsty monster.

Shadow growled softly, extending his neck so he could reach the boy. The boy shrieked, which made Shadow freeze. Before Shadow could so much as breathe, the boy kicked him on his sensitive nose. Shadow pulled his head out and wailed, more surprised than anything. As Shadow was preoccupied with his stinging nose, the boy tried to sneak away.

Shadow saw him trying to get away, and he wasn't about to let him run back out into the desert on his own. He snarled and bent down, snapping his jaws shut on the back of the human's shirt, and lifted him up so that his feet no longer touched the ground. The boy screamed and squirmed, trying to get away.

"No… stop squirming, it's okay…" Shadow growled softly, trying to let the human know that he wasn't in any danger. The boy kept struggling, and Shadow's patience was wearing dangerously thin. "I'm not hurting you!!" Shadow roared, stomping his foot. The child stopped squirming, but started making sad, sniffling noises. Shadow was confused, until he saw tears dripping down onto the sand.

'_What to go, Shadow, you made him cry…'_ Shadow thought sarcastically, cursing himself. Growling quietly, he lowered the boy to the ground so that he was standing on his own two feet, and released him. The boy stood there for a moment, unmoving and silent other than the sniffling. Shadow snorted quietly and lightly nudged his shoulder, but the boy turned and ran to the left, towards the end of the canyon, which was only about twenty or so yards away.

Shadow turned and followed him, mentally beating himself up for making the boy cry. He watched the boy disappear from view behind a bend, but Shadow knew the child wasn't going anywhere, because the dead end was ahead. He rounded the turn, and froze, for he couldn't see him anymore. _'What? Where'd he go?'_ Shadow thought, looking around for the child.

Then, he heard the child behind him. _'Very clever, he hid behind the turn…'_ Shadow thought, hearing him trying to sneak away behind him. Sighing, Shadow wrapped his tail around the child's legs, lifting him up into the air. He brought his tail up around to his front so he could face the boy as he hung upside down, looking back at him with cloudy eyes. Shadow sighed and lowered the boy to the ground, laying him on his back and uncoiling his tail from around the boy's legs.

The boy quickly got up and ran to the dead end, crawling in a small indent. Shadow walked over to the indent and leaned down, so that he could see the child. The boy was sitting in the indent, legs pulled up to his chest, his chin resting on his knees. His side was to Shadow, and Shadow couldn't see the odd red marking on his cheek from where he was.

Shadow growled and cocked his head at the shaking human, nosing his shoulder lightly in an attempt to comfort him. The boy sniffed and closed his eyes, tensing his body, almost like he was expecting him to attack. Shadow purred quietly, gently licking the tears from his face. At that the child's eyes opened, now a little brighter and clearer. Shadow smiled and snorted excitedly, happy that he had finally gotten the child to stop crying. The boy looked at him strangely, but wouldn't move out from the indent.

'_I need to show him I really am not going to hurt him…'_

* * *

Raven hid in the indent, just trying to get away from huge Organoid. He heard it walking over to him, so he pulled his legs up against his chest and rested his chin on his knees, tears still streaming down his face. The Organoid had terrified him when it roared, and now he was just trying to hide from it.

A sudden growl from the Organoid right beside him made him jump slightly. Raven saw the Organoid lean down to him, and he felt its smooth nose push slightly into his upper arm. Raven closed his eyes and tensed, expecting to feel the Organoid's teeth biting into him at any moment. The Organoid made a noise like a purr, and then it licked his face.

Raven opened his eyes, surprised that the Organoid hadn't attacked. He looked at the Organoid strangely, and was surprised to see it almost _smile_. It snorted suddenly, ruffling his black hair. Raven blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his blurry vision, cloudy from crying, and clean away the tears.

The Organoid growled again and nuzzled his shoulder, making a strange, almost cooing noise, before lifting its head away. Raven looked up at the Organoid, confused on why it was being almost gentle. The Organoid looked down at him, smiling and wagging its tail back and forth. Raven had to hold in a chuckle, for the big Organoid was acting more like a friendly puppy than a bloodthirsty Zoid. The Organoid leaned down again, lightly nosing his side, causing Raven to laugh, for it tickled.

The Organoid made an almost purring noise and flopped down on its side, rolling onto its back like a dog, wagging its tail and pawing the air with its back leg. Raven couldn't help but laugh at the Organoid, for it looked like a harmless puppy.

Before he could stop himself, Raven reached out and laid his hand on the Organoid's chin, and ran his hand up and down its jaw, scratching it like one would a cat. The Organoid closed its eyes and wagged its tail harder, purring loudly and raking the air with its back claws. Raven started to laugh, for the Organoid looked like it couldn't hurt a fly, and the only danger it posed was to lick him to death.

'_Maybe I was wrong… maybe he isn't going to hurt me…'_ Raven thought, smiling at the comical Organoid. As soon as he stopped scratching, the Organoid's eyes flashed open and it rolled back onto its stomach, still looking at him. It cocked its head, nosing him curiously, as if it wanted him to come out. Raven laughed, for the Organoid touched his ticklish side, and it looked comical.

"Do you want me to come out?" Raven asked the Organoid, knowing that he wouldn't get a response. He was surprised when the Organoid nodded and stood up, giving him room to get out. Raven did as he said and crawled out, a little unnerved by the Organoid's presence, but not terrified, as he had been earlier. He stood up and brushed himself off, and jumped slightly when the Organoid nudged his shoulder.

The Organoid started purring again and nuzzled his shoulder, rubbing the side of its snout against him, like a cat would. Raven couldn't help but chuckle, and he reached up and laid his hand on the Organoid's smooth snout. It growled softly and licked his face, and then nuzzled his shoulder again. He laughed again, and rubbed the Organoid's reptilian crest. The Organoid purred louder, and pushed its snout gently against his chest. A sudden flash off to the Organoid's right caught his attention, but he was more preoccupied with the black Organoid in front of him.

Suddenly, the air was split with a deafening crack of thunder. Raven screamed and hugged the Organoid's snout, squeezing it like his life depended on it, eyes shut tightly. The Organoid didn't pull away or shake him off like he had expected, instead it just stood there, letting him hang on to its snout. Another loud crash made him whimper in fear, and hug the Organoid's snout tighter. The Organoid purred softly, but its purr faded to a low growl as a cloud burst, dumping rain on them.

Raven felt tears forming in his eyes and leak out, but he was too scared at the moment to do anything besides cling to the Organoid. The Organoid snorted, and Raven felt it pull its snout from his grasp. Another crash of thunder made him jump, and he grabbed the Organoid again, this time wrapping his arms tightly around the Organoid's neck, eyes still closed. The Organoid obviously didn't expect this, for it grunted in surprise and froze, but again didn't push him away.

The Organoid growled softly and pulled his neck from Raven's grip. Raven was drenched with cold rain, and he knew if he didn't get out of it soon he was going to get sick. Suddenly, he realized that he didn't feel anymore rain soaking him. He opened his eyes and looked up, but all he saw was red. It took him a moment to realize that the red was the underside of the Organoid's wing, and that it was shielding him from the cold pounding drops.

"Thank you…" Raven said quietly, his voice strained from crying and from the desert air. The Organoid nodded and lowered its head to his level, licking his face again. Raven chuckled and hugged the Organoid's snout again, closing his eyes and sighing.

'_Maybe getting lost wasn't so bad…'_

_**.:End of Lost:.**_

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**AN**- Ahh… wasn't that cute? ;) Lol. I really like this fic, it's one of my all-time favorites. What did you guys think? I was thinking of continuing it, what do you think? Should I continue it, or leave it a one-shot? It's up to you. Lol. Please review guys!! **I accept anonymous reviews, and will reply to all anonymous reviews in my profile!!** Again, as always, **all flamers will be fed to Leiden and Geier!!** If you value your life, don't flame. ;) Lol. Normal, nice reviewers, no need to worry, you're safe from Leiden and Geier. XD Lol. Now please review, I want to know how I did!! ;P

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	2. Two Years Gone

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, I've decided to continue this. This little one-shot may turn into a long fic, with a possible sequel!!! I have about a million ideas for this one little fic, but I think I have a good bit of it figured out. I am going to have Raven take part in events in the anime, but he will be behaving differently, due to his time in the wilderness with Shadow. But, that's all later. Now, Raven is still with Shadow, and will remain with him for a while. So, here's chapter 2- Two Years Gone.

Here is my Halloween treat to all of you!! The continuation of my beloved _**Lost**_!! XD

Btw, two years have passed, so Raven is now around 10 years old. Just wanted to make sure you didn't get confused.

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In a quiet forest in the middle of the desert, a young, black-haired boy kneeled by the bank of a large lake. Raven dipped his canteen into the cool water, ripples spreading across the still, mirror surface. He no longer was wearing the simple white shirt that he had been wearing when the Organoid found him, but a loose plain, tan outfit that the Organoid had found for him. His hair was just above shoulder length and no longer pulled back, cut by a woman whom he had met a few months ago, the same woman who gave him the canteen and his blanket.

Raven lifted and capped the canteen as soon as it was filled, standing up and placing it in a small backpack. He turned and started back, following a small overgrown path deep into the ancient forest. Raven knew the winding trail like the back of his hand, for he walked it every morning to top off his canteen and wash.

This small forest oasis had been he and the Organoid's home for nearly two years. The tall ancient trees kept the harsh sun from heating the lake-cooled air and provided shelter, and also hid them from the Imperial soldiers. Ever since the white-haired man had learned he and the Organoid were in the desert, Imperial soldiers had searched for them, but they could never find their oasis.

The forest suddenly ended at the base of a sheer cliff, pocketed with dozens of shallow caves. Raven walked into one particularly deep cave, stopping at the sudden light change. He tossed down the small dark pack, blinking his eyes as he tried to adjust to the sudden light change. He could hear something moving in front of him, but he wasn't afraid, he had no reason to be.

Suddenly, he heard a loud growl in front of him and two bright eyes appeared inches in front of his face, making him jump back and lose his balance. He shrieked and fell hard to the smooth stone, glaring at the two glowing eyes.

"Shadow! How many times have I told you to not do that?!" Raven snapped, glaring at the dark Organoid hovering over him. Shadow laughed at him, before offering his clawed hand to help him to his feet. Raven grabbed the Organoid's hand, letting Shadow pull him to his feet.

_/What? All I did was walk out of my chamber to see what was making all that noise, I wasn't trying to scare you… this time…/_ Shadow said, shrugging his shoulders, as if he didn't know what Raven was talking about.

"Sure… of course you were…" Raven said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Shadow snickered, before he walked out of the cave into the small clearing, stretching his long body and yawning like a lazy cat. The Organoid's obsidian body glittered like polished onyx in the glaring sun, his ruby wings and sapphire eyes gleaming brightly.

_/The clouds look dark today, rain comes soon/_ Shadow said, turning to look at Raven, though the only noise he outwardly made was a loud growl.

"Good, we need rain, the lake is down a bit, and it'll cover our tracks." Raven said, relief in his voice. Shadow nodded, and turned away.

_/You should get some training in before the rain starts/_ Shadow said, spreading his wings and flying away, not giving Raven any time to object. Raven groaned and kicked a rock, not wanting to train. He puffed and walked out of the small cavern, turning towards a hulking figure to his right.

"Ghost, wake up..." Raven shouted to a large, silver lump. The lump twitched slightly, before curling up tighter. "C'mon Ghost, Shadow says we need to do some training." He said, tapping on the figure sharply. The sliver mass stretched and yawned loudly, showing large, sharp teeth. The lump stood, revealing itself as a silver and blue Command Wolf.

The Zoid groaned lazily and stretched like a sleepy cat, splaying sharp yellow claws and wagging its blue tail. Ghost crouched and lowered his head, opening the ruby cockpit cover for Raven to get in. Raven climbed up and strapped himself in, Ghost closing the cockpit cover for him.

"C'mon Ghost, let's find Shadow and get some practice in before it starts to rain." Raven said, tapping on the side of the glass. The Command Wolf growled in acknowledgement, starting into the trees, towards a large clearing hidden deep in the forest, where they trained. Ghost howled in objection as he plodded into the training clearing, making Raven laugh.

"Don't complain to me, tell Shadow; I'm not enjoying this any more than you are." Raven laughed, pointing to the small dot soaring above their heads, which was Shadow.

_/Both of you better stop complaining…/_ Shadow sneered, _/… or I'll have you both run laps!/_ Instantly, both of them stopped complaining, not wanting to run laps, especially if it started raining. Shadow roared and swooped down, buzzing the Command Wolf's cockpit before speeding off. Ghost roared and bounded after Shadow, Raven urging him on. Shadow shot suddenly upwards, making Ghost skid to a stop. Raven gripped Ghost's controls, knowing what Shadow was planning.

Sure enough, Shadow was making a loop, coming around behind. Just as Shadow was within striking distance, Raven wheeled Ghost around and struck, smacking Shadow and pinning him to the ground with the Wolf's yellow paw. Shadow struggled and squirmed under Ghost's paw, but it was no use.

"I win, Shadow!" Raven said proudly, laughing. Ghost threw his head back and howled in victory, the Zoid's cry echoing through the trees and hills.

_/Very well Raven…/_ Shadow said, _/… that's enough training for today. Let Ghost run around if he wants, but meet me back at home within an hour/_ he added as Ghost lifted his paw, rolling to his feet and spreading his ruby wings before soaring into the cloudy sky. Raven watched Shadow's disappearing form, happy with the fact that his piloting skills were improving. A quiet growl from Ghost broke his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

"Alright, alright…" Raven sighed, unlatching his harness. Ghost snorted and lowered his head, opening the cockpit cover, letting him crawl out. Raven slid to the ground in front of Ghost's nose, looking up at the darkening sky. Ghost growled softly and licked him, making him laugh.

"Okay Ghost, alright! You can go and play!" Raven laughed, patting the silver wolf's nose. Ghost barked happily and stood to his full height, plodding off towards the lake. _'Probably wants to splash around in the water for a bit… he's nothing more than a big dog…'_ Raven thought, chuckling slightly as he started to walk towards an overgrown dirt path.

It would only take him about twenty minutes to walk back to the cave, which left him forty minutes to do whatever he wanted. The threat of the eminent rain, however, shortened his list of what he could do. _'I don't want to venture too far from the cave, unless I want to take a long walk in the rain…'_ Raven thought, trying to figure out what to do, _'… maybe I could go poke around the old ruins?'_ he pondered, shrugging as he walked silently down the path.

Raven reached a crossroad, and he turned to the right, heading towards the ruins on the top of the small hill. The old stone building was very old, collapsed in and nothing more than a pile of rubble with a few isolated rooms and partial corridors. He had stumbled across the secluded spot a few months ago, and it had been his hidden, 'quiet' place ever since. Not even Shadow knew of the ruins, he had been careful not to let the Organoid find out. It wasn't that he didn't trust Shadow, he trusted the Organoid with his life, it was just that he just wanted a place to be alone.

The trail ended abruptly, the small hill rising up out of the tiny break in the trees. The gray-blue stone of the long-crumbled buildings ringed the crest of the hill, almost like a broken crown. Raven had no idea what the ruins used to be or who made them, but he had found several strange things there, like stone tools and carvings, even little carved figures and toys.

Raven climbed up the moderately steep hill, reaching the edge of the rubble. He walked through the decrepit stone walls, quietly making his way through the winding maze of fallen stone and crumbling rock. He knew the place well, and was following an invisible map towards his favorite spot.

He squeezed through a narrow opening, and found himself on the edge of the hill, overlooking the entire oasis and surrounding forest. Raven stopped and looked, taking a deep breath and sitting on a fallen pillar. The ruins provided him a perfect vantage point over the whole valley; nothing could sneak up on him while he was looking from his perch. That was why he loved it so much up here, it was quiet and peaceful, and gave him a sense of importance as he looked out over the oasis.

Everything was visible from the ruins; the lake, the cliff face, the desert, everything was within sight. Raven could see Ghost as he jumped and ran through the shallow lake, spraying silvery water everywhere. The cliff where he and Shadow's cave was located was within plain sight, giving him plenty of warning if Shadow decided to try and sneak up on him. Even the desert beyond the sheltering hills was visible, letting him get an early warning if the Imperial soldiers were searching for him again.

A soft breeze blew through the ancient trees, rustling the emerald foliage and lapping at the strong branches, before reaching the ruins. Raven took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the cool wind washed over him, smelling rain on the breeze as it tickled his face. It was going to rain soon, it appeared Shadow had been right.

Raven opened his eyes, turning and looking towards the breeze's source. Sure enough, the clouds were dark and thick, churning with strong winds, slowly starting to approach his small oasis. He sighed; knowing his time at the ruins was about to be cut short. _'It's still a little ways off, I have a little time before I have to leave…'_ Raven thought, leaning back against a smooth stone, staring up at the cloudy sky. Almost as if annoyed with Raven ignoring it, a quiet rumble of thunder drifted from the black clouds, as if telling him to not pass it off as a quick rain shower.

"This may be a bad one…" Raven thought with a smirk, closing his eyes, "… I don't remember a storm that looked like that since the day Shadow found me…" he mumbled, memories from his first meeting with the Organoid resurfacing. He loosely crossed his arms and sighed, letting himself drift back into his memories of his first night with the Organoid…

* * *

_Flashback_

_Raven sat against the wall of a small cave, looking out the entrance. Rain was still pouring down, and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, even though nearly two hours had passed since the squall first started. The lightning had stopped, which was good, for he was absolutely __terrified__ of lightning and thunder._

_He shifted and groaned quietly, the wall he was leaning against rough and uncomfortable. He had been sitting in the same position since the Organoid had drug him here, not really wanting to move. Raven still didn't fully trust the Organoid; after all, it had chased him and cornered him when it had first found him. But, the fact it had carried him here and not harmed him made him wonder if the Organoid was just looking after him, since he no longer had anyone else to take care of him._

_A sudden, fierce wind whipped into the small cavern, making Raven shiver, for it was frigid and damp. Raven was soaked to the bone, and had been since the rain started, which he knew wasn't good. He was worried that he may get sick, and the thought of falling ill scared him, for he didn't know how the Organoid would react. He was scared that if he grew weak from an illness, the Organoid would see him as prey and eat him. The very thought terrified him, making him shudder in fear, and not just from the cold._

_Raven turned his head and glanced over to his left, deeper down into the shallow depression that they were staying in, looking at the hulking shape of the black Organoid. It was curled up in a ball, snoring softly in a deep sleep, as it had been for the last few hours. Just minutes after it had brought Raven here, it had laid down and fallen asleep, and hadn't so much as twitched since. Raven could have snuck out and ran away from it, but he hadn't, where was he supposed to go? He had no parents; no home to run back to, so running was pointless, the only thing he would find out in the desert was his own death._

_A snort from the Organoid broke his thoughts, making him blink and focus on it again. It shifted, rolling over slightly, exposing its belly and sighing as it drifted back into a deep sleep. Raven turned away from it and gazed back out at the falling rain, sighing quietly and drooping his shoulders, thinking. _

_He didn't know what he was going to do, he had nowhere to go, no one to go to… to him, it was hopeless. The nice soldier who was going to take care of him was dead, and the doctor who helped him get better disappeared as well. In reality, the only thing that seemed even remotely interested in him was the Organoid, but for all he knew, it could have just brought him back to eat if it got hungry._

_Raven drew his legs up against his chest, trying to keep warm in the cold cavern. He was soaking wet, shaking, and freezing; he knew he was already coming down with some sort of illness. The Organoid seemed completely unbothered by the cold and rain, continuing to sleep peacefully through the pounding of the rain. Raven looked at the dark Organoid, staring at its long claws and sharp teeth, showing in its partly open mouth. It could so easily kill him, why, even a half-hearted flick of its tail could end his life, but yet it had acted so gentle when it had found him, even when he had kicked it, the Organoid didn't attack._

_Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Raven looked back out at the pouring rain, trying to keep his mind off the potentially dangerous Organoid just a few feet away from him. The storm continued to rage outside, dumping rain in sheets from the pitch-black sky. Raven shook and curled up tighter, but even still he was cold. He began shivering, rain dripping off him and onto the hard stone floor. He started to cough and sneeze, wiping his nose and sniffing._

_Unfortunately, his coughing woke the Organoid, which growled and lifted its head; its eyes opening a crack, glowing like sapphires. Raven froze, afraid he had angered the Organoid by waking it. It narrowed its eyes and stretched its neck towards him, looking at him strangely. It seemed almost confused by his shaking and coldness, cocking its head and edging closer._

_Raven stiffened when he felt its warm snout press lightly against his arm, the Organoid nosing him and growling quietly. It shifted back onto its stomach, stretching even further until it could easily reach him. Raven was scared, afraid he had made it angry and that it was going to attack him. The Organoid, however, didn't look all that threatening. Its glowing eyes were half closed, dimmer than they were earlier, giving it a sleepy appearance. Its reptilian fringes seem to almost drop, only making it look more sleepy and tired. It blinked slowly and looked at him blankly, seeming as if it was going to fall asleep again._

_The Organoid growled and leaned closer, looking him over and sniffing him curiously. Raven whined in fear and shrank away from the Organoid; terrified it was going to bite him. The Organoid cocked its head, as if perplexed by him acting scared. Raven didn't know why he was suddenly so terrified of the metallic creature, it was almost as if something deep inside him was telling him that the Organoid was a danger and was going to kill him._

_Raven laid his head on his arms, which were crossed over his knees, and suddenly felt tears welling in his eyes. He didn't know why he was crying, but for some reason, he felt the Organoid, or maybe something like it, had hurt him somehow in the past. The Organoid made a grumbling noise, standing up slightly and walking over in front of him, and Raven could feel its eyes on him. It growled and laid down just a few feet in front of him, its head still hovering over him, almost as if it was concerned or curious. Raven could feel its warm breath as it lowered its head, sniffing him, ruffling his hair slightly._

_Suddenly, the silence was split by a deafening roar of thunder, making Raven scream and jump. He jumped up, but his legs were weak from sitting for so long, and he collapsed, right against the Organoid. Raven squeezed his eyes shut and started shaking, both in shock from the loud thunder, and in fear that the Organoid would attack him for falling on it._

_The Organoid grunted, obviously surprised, but it didn't slash or bite at him, it just stayed still. Another loud crash of thunder shook the very stone of the small cavern, making him whimper in terror and huddle against the Organoid's chest, more scared of the thunder than the metallic creature. Still, he was afraid the Organoid would attack, and feared he would feel its powerful jaws snapping shut on him at any moment._

_Without warning, Raven felt something grip him, the Organoid's warm arms wrapping around him. He opened his eyes, looking down, staring at the Organoid's arms wrapped around his body. It wasn't choking him, it wasn't hurting him in any way, it seemed as if it was trying to calm him down. The Organoid's chest armor was very warm, making Raven sleepy and warming him up. Raven looked up at it, confused, wondering why it was being almost gentle, again. The Organoid was looking down at him, seeming to smile, its eyes glowing brighter._

_Raven stopped shaking, blinking his eyes, his eyes still cloudy, wondering if the Organoid was going to hurt him. The Organoid growled softly, leaning down and licking his face, making a purr-like noise. Raven laughed, for it tickled, and he no longer felt threatened by the huge metal creature. The Organoid lifted its head and yawned loudly, showing sharp teeth, before laying back down, its neck draping loosely across Raven. It sighed loudly and closed its eyes, making a deep, thrumming noise, its arms still wrapped around Raven. Raven felt strangely protected, and didn't even move when a loud clap of thunder vibrated through the stone cave, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the Organoid's chest._

_Raven sighed quietly, and drifted off to sleep in the Organoid's arms…_

_End flashback_

* * *

A sudden close, loud clap of thunder shook Raven from his memories. He sat up, looking over at the clouds. Not surprisingly, the clouds were almost upon the sheltered oasis, and if he didn't get back to the cave soon, he was going to have a long, wet walk.

"I better get back, Shadow will kill me if I'm late… again…" Raven groaned, getting up and starting down the steep hill. Thanks to his good balance, he quickly made his way down the mossy slope without slipping, hurrying towards the trail. The sun, already dim from the earlier clouds, was dimmed even more as the dark storm clouds drew closer.

Another crash of thunder shook the forest, further hastening Raven's pace, the storm approaching quickly. Raven knew that being in the forest, surrounded by the tall, ancient trees wasn't a good idea, and that he needed to get back to Shadow and Ghost. His still-present fear of storms wasn't helping either, and with every rumble of thunder he grew even more nervous.

A sudden, fierce gust of wind tore through the trees, whipping around the thick trunks and snapping the weak branches, showing Raven with leave. He shook them off, hurrying towards the cave. The storm was like a hunting cat, creeping up behind him, breathing down his neck and snarling.

Without warning, the air was split by a deafening crack of thunder, making Raven scream and jump. He wheeled around, and sure enough, the storm clouds were only a stone's throw away from the oasis. _'I won't make it back on time…'_ Raven realized, _'… and this storm looks dangerous…'_ he added darkly, seeing bolts of lighting racing through the darkened clouds, like bright, burning spider webs.

Raven lifted his hand to his mouth and whistled shrilly, and within moments Ghost appeared from the forest, approaching silently, considering his massive size, just like his namesake. The large silver and dark blue Zoid plodded over to him, growling loudly and kneeling down.

"Ghost, let me in, I need to get back to the cave before the storm hits, and before Shadow blows a gasket…" Raven said, muttering the last part under his breath, not wanting the Zoid to hear and tell the Organoid. Ghost did as he was told, lowering his head and opening the cockpit cover for him to enter. Just as Raven climbed in, small droplets of water dripped onto the ruby glass of the cover, announcing the storm's arrival. Ghost lifted his head and snorted, for the Command Wolf hated to get wet from rain, though he loved the water of the lake.

Raven skillfully maneuvered the large Zoid around, moving the Command Wolf through the narrow spaces between the trees with relative ease, not once scraping against the massive trunks. He knew that Shadow was going to be furious for staying out so long when he knew a storm was coming, for the last time he did it, he was nearly struck by lightning himself. Ever since then, he had been commanded to return home at the first and slightest hint of bad weather, but of course, he simply ignored the Organoid's warning.

As if on cue, lightning lit up the sky, dancing across the sky before vanishing. Seconds later, a loud boom of thunder rippled through the air, shaking the very Zoid itself. Raven blinked and gripped the controls tighter, slightly frightened, but not as much as he normally would have, for Ghost was with him. Even though years had passed, the very thought of a storm made him shudder, and he always got scared when rare desert storms rolled through.

Another bolt crashed down to the ground, and Raven hastened the Command Wolf's pace, hoping he would get back before the storm got any worse…

* * *

**AN**- so? How did ya like your Halloween treat, to all of you from me? I hope you enjoyed it!! Again, I am going to continue this, but updates will be rare, for I have to be in just the right mood to type them. Anyway, I also just updated _**To Save a Raven**_, so please check that out as well. I'm sorry if it seemed a little choppy in places, but I've been working on it on-and-off for a few weeks. I hope you still thought it was good!!

Not as funny as the first chapter, but I thought the flashback was rather cute. ^-^

Also, I have a poll in my profile over which fics you want me to update. You are allowed to choose up to 3 fics. Please vote, I want to know which ones you want me to update!!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this!! I had fun writing it, so I hope you liked it!! I recently have had renewed my interest in some of my older fics, so you never know, one of these days I may update _**Broken**_ or _**The Dark Savior**_… you never know!! Please leave a review and tell me how I did!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	3. Figure

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Lol. I really like this fic. You know, I wasn't trying to make Shadow seem like he was over-controlling or strict, he is just trying to teach Raven how to pilot and to make sure he doesn't get hurt. And, this is Raven we're talking about, so I'm sure Shadow would have to get a little strict with him to keep him 'in line', so to speak. XP Also, 9TailedFox brought up the suggestion of introducing Ibeyla into this fic. Does anyone else want her to be incorporated into the storyline? That will throw off my entire storyline, though. ^^; Oh, and some new characters will be introduced this chapter. XP Anyway, please enjoy chapter 3- Figure!!

Btw, the italicized part, that is Raven's dream about how he encountered Ghost. Just wanted to make sure you didn't get confused. ^^;

* * *

Ghost plodded through the forest, trying to get back to the caves. The storm had picked up pace, blowing down several of the giant trees, so the Command Wolf had had to redirect his route back, which was taking a long time. Raven had fallen asleep in the cockpit, and Ghost couldn't blame him, he had snuck out late to go stargazing and hadn't gotten much sleep.

The trees around the silver and blue Zoid began to creak and groan in the high winds, making Ghost nervous. The fear of one of the massive trees falling on him and Raven scared the Command Wolf, and he decided to redirect his route through the lake. Ghost turned onto the shore of the large, shallow lake, slowly wading into the cool, clear water.

Ghost shivered slightly as he swam into the middle of the lake, the cold water coming all the way up to his stomach in spots. He ignored it and half walked, half swum to the other end of the lake, near the cliff, where the caves were located. He hurried and climbed out of the frigid water, shaking himself to rid his silver and blue body of the cold water.

He stopped and started towards the cave, keeping his gait as smooth as possible, so not to wake Raven from his much-needed sleep. As he drew closer to the cave, he spied Shadow at the entrance of the main cave, looking at him. He growled to the Organoid, plodding over to him and kneeling down.

"Didn't come back when he should of, I suppose?" Shadow sighed, looking at him. Ghost growled a 'yes', lowering his head and opening the cockpit. Shadow clamored up on Ghost's face, slipping on the slick armor as he looked inside the cockpit. Raven was asleep, leaning against the seat, not even reacting to his presence.

"Ahh… he's asleep…" Shadow sneered, snickering. He unlatched Raven's safety harness, the boy not even moving. "Was he out stargazing again last night?" he asked, turning away from Raven. Ghost growled a nervous 'maybe', which made Shadow laugh. "Oh did he now… well, I can't blame him, they were beautiful last night…" he said quietly, turning back to Raven. The boy still hadn't moved much, still in a deep sleep. Shadow gently lifted him out of the pilot's seat, careful not to wake him. He turned and jumped out of the cockpit, stepping into the dry cave, before turning back to Ghost.

"You better sleep in the large cave, I have a feeling this rain is going to last all night…" Shadow said, before he turned and walked further into the cave. Ghost growled and stood, shaking himself before he walked into the large cave beside Raven and Shadow's cave, bounding inside to escape the rain. It was large enough for his to sprawl out and sleep peacefully with room to spare. He sighed loudly and growled happily as he laid down, glad to be in the dry cave, before he fell asleep.

* * *

Shadow flicked his tail and carefully carried Raven back into the cave, moving slowly so not to wake the young human up. It was raining Helkats and Command Wolves outside, and thundering and lightning like it was the end of the world. How Raven had been able to fall asleep in it, Shadow had no idea, but he had a feeling he wouldn't stay asleep for long.

Because of the darkened sky, it was nearly pitch black inside the cave, making navigating the narrow and winding corridors difficult for the Organoid. _'What I wouldn't give for a flashlight… or at least a torch crystal…'_ Shadow whined mentally, wishing he had grabbed one of the glowing torch crystals from the storage chamber earlier. He shook his head and growled quietly, focusing on walking down the unlit passage without banging into anything.

Shadow turned into a branching chamber, which was Raven's room. The medium-sized room was big enough to accommodate at least two people and two Organoids, but Raven had it all to himself most of the time. A few boxes were against the right wall, full of clothes and supplies the woman they had met a few months back had given them. On top of one was a battery-powered lamp, which Raven used at night and was currently turned off. Scattered on the walls were a few pictures Raven had drawn when he was younger, mainly of Shadow and Ghost, and some of Zoidian-looking carvings, made with charcoal and whatever was at hand at the time. His bed was a thin, soft mattress that Shadow had taken from an abandoned house, covered in white sheets with an army-green blanket. The woman had been kind enough to give him a pillow and an extra blanket, which was folded at the foot of the bed in case of cold weather. She had also given him a stuffed Rev Raptor; the little old red stuffed animal perched next to his bed. All in all, it wasn't bad considering they were living in the middle of the desert miles away from civilization.

Being as quiet as he could, Shadow lifted the blanket off of the bed with his tail and laid Raven down lightly on the mattress, covering him in the thin blanket gently. Raven didn't even twitch; he was in a dead sleep. Shadow smirked before he turned and quietly walked out of the chamber, trying to not wake him as he walked further down into the cave. He wanted to get one of the torch crystals from the back chamber for the night, just in case he needed it, and to put them in the corridors so they could see.

He only made it about halfway before he tripped and fell, roaring loudly as he fell over something and crashed to the ground. He growled and pushed himself to his feet, and tried to figure out what he had tripped over. Shadow sighed when he realized it was Raven's ball he had fallen over, kicking it lightly back towards Raven's chamber. _'I'll tell him to put his toys away when he wakes up, now I need to get those torch crystals…'_ Shadow sighed mentally, turning and continuing back towards the storage room.

Shadow managed to make it to the chamber without further incident, and gathered up an armload of the green glowing torch crystals. He proceeded to place the sharp crystals on the notches carved into the sides of the corridor, the dim green-orange light helping to illuminate the cave. He was busy placing the crystals for half an hour, barely noticing that the storm was worsening.

As Shadow placed one of the last crystals near the entrance, he suddenly stopped, getting the feeling that he was being watched. He turned and looked out of the cave, trying to see if anyone was outside beyond the rain-curtain. He couldn't see anyone or anything, but he could sense something watching him, something he'd never encountered yet was unmistakable, alien but familiar. The odd feeling unnerved him, making him feel like he was in danger.

Shadow shook his head and continued to place the crystals, trying to ignore the feeling eating at him…

* * *

_Raven sat on the shore of the lake, feeling the cool water lapping at his feet. The Organoid had brought him to this hidden oasis a few days before, and although he trusted the Organoid now, he was still trying to get used to being around the metal creature. He had come to the shallow lake to be by himself for a bit, to just think for a little while about what he was going to do now that he was with the Organoid._

_Staring into the mirror-like still water, Raven picked up a small pebble and tossed it into the lake, making ripples spread across the smooth surface. He sighed and brought his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees, watching the small waves distort the mirror of the water's surface. As the ripples died down, his reflection began to clear. He could see himself in the surface, but that wasn't the only thing reflected. Something was behind him, a large silver and blue shape seeming to loom over him, yet he didn't hear anything…_

_Suddenly, Raven felt a strong, warm breath of air as whatever-it-was behind him growled loudly, startling him into jumping up. Unfortunately, because he had been sitting for nearly half an hour, his legs were asleep, so he fell into the water with a startled yelp. He scrambled to stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him up, causing him to fall back into the cold water on his back._

_Raven didn't try to get back up, not wanting to hurt himself, and instead tried to see what had been behind him. The large shape was actually a large silver Zoid with dark royal blue highlights sitting on its haunches, seemingly laughing at him. Its long blue and silver tail was wagging across the ground, stirring some dust and stray sand from the cool grass. Its large powerful paws and claws were sun yellow, a stark contrast to the silver and blue coloration. Its ruby eyes were glowing brightly, looking like bloody gems against its silver coloration. It didn't __look__ all that threatening, but Raven was still afraid it was going to attack or something. It looked like a Command Wolf, but it had definite eyes and more defined ears. He believed it was a Command Wolf but the coloration was strange, its color scheme looked like a cross between a Command Wolf and the colors of the extinct, mythical Zoidian Koenig Wolves._

_The wolf-like Zoid growled and cocked its head, looking at him, standing up and shaking itself. It growled again and took a step towards him, scaring him. Raven put his hand back, but instead of touching the rock-strewn bottom, his hand slipped into one of the deep spots, causing him to fall back and slide underwater into the deep depression. He was startled when his head went underwater suddenly; panicking when he couldn't find which way was up. He tried to swim up, but he couldn't find the surface and he didn't have a lot of air._

_Suddenly, he felt something hard under him, cold metal grabbing him and lifting him up. Raven gasped for air the second he broke the surface, relieved to be up out of the water. He settled his breathing a little and looked up, and was surprised to see the Command Wolf-like Zoid hovering over him. It took him a moment to realize the Zoid had picked him up out of the water, and that he was laying in its paw._

_The Zoid growled quietly and sat him down in the shallow water near the shore, looking at him strangely. Raven shook his head to get some of the water off, wiping some out of his eyes. The Zoid cocked it head, blinking and shaking its head in a copy of what he had done. Raven stared at it, confused on why it was acting that way. The Zoid snorted and leaned down to him, sniffing him curiously._

_Raven tensed and squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to feel its teeth. The Zoid growled softly, nosing him lightly and sniffing him again, not seeming threatening at all. Raven opened his eyes and looked at it, slowly starting to think it wasn't a danger to him. He smirked and reached up, touching its ebony nose lightly. The Zoid started wagging its tail, growling softly and licking him, its ruby eyes closed happily. Raven laughed and patted its snout, making it growl happily and wag its tail harder. It barked and rolled over, still wagging its tail, clawing at the air with its back paw like a dog. Raven couldn't help but laugh at it, and reached out and scratched it on the underside of its chin._

_The wolf-like Zoid made a quiet growling noise, closing its eyes and wagging its tail happily. Raven smirked and patted it, before he stood up, brushing some of the excess water from his white clothes. He walked up onto the shore and stood next to the rolled-over Zoid, looking at it oddly. He had never seen a Zoid act so strangely, let alone move without a pilot.._

_Raven watched as the Zoid rolled back over and turned its head, looking at him with its ruby eyes. It growled softly and licked him again, making him laugh. The Zoid barked and lowered its head to the ground, and to Raven's surprise, opened the cockpit. Raven looked at it strangely, surprised it was going to let him into the cockpit._

_Being very cautious, Raven climbed up into the cockpit, sitting in the pilot's seat and grasping the controls. The Zoid closed the cockpit and stood up, growling quietly and standing still, as if waiting for him to tell it what to do. Raven pushed on the controls, and the Wolf moved forward almost silently, which struck him as odd. That, and the fact that there were no weapons on the Zoid; he finally concluded that the Zoid was either a stray or wild. The wolf Zoid growled again, catching Raven's attention._

"_Do you have a pilot? Or a name?" he asked, smirking slightly at the fact he was talking to a Zoid. The wolf growled quietly and shook its head 'no', which surprised Raven, who hadn't expected the Zoid to understand, let alone answer._

"_Would you like me to name you? Or pilot you?" he asked quietly, feeling rather ridiculous talking to the Zoid. The wolf-like Zoid growled happily and shook its head 'yes', making Raven smirk._

"_Okay… well, what do you think of Ghost?" he said, the name popping into his mind. The wolf roared happily, wagging its tail and holding its head up high. Raven laughed quietly, before he began to push on the controls, moving the Zoid forward. Ghost growled quizzically, as if curious as to what he was doing._

"_I need to introduce you to my friend, Ghost, I'm sure he'd love to meet you…" Raven answered, smiling at the thought of how the Organoid would react to him piloting a Zoid back and on his own to the cave. Ghost growled happily and picked up the pace, its high-stepping gait almost like a trot, making the Zoid look as if it was playing around._

_Ghost growled happily and seemed to grin, trotting through the trees as Raven held the controls…_

* * *

Raven was shook from his dreams by a loud clap of thunder, his amethyst eyes flashing open as he jumped up. He looked around frantically, not knowing where he was, until he realized he was in his bed in his room. _'Wasn't I in Ghost's cockpit? Uh oh… Shadow must have put me in here, that means he knows I didn't get a good sleep last night and was out stargazing… I bet that traitor Ghost told him! Uh… I'm going to be in so much trouble…'_ he thought, sighing quietly. He pulled off his blanket and stood up, blinking as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the low light.

As his eyes adjusted, he began to see the flashes of lightning coming from the corridor, along with the familiar glow of the green-orange torch crystals. Another blaze of lightning lit the darkness, but this time, a strange shadow was cast on the wall, a bipedal, spined shadow that looked almost reptilian. Raven walked out of his chamber and into the hallway, looking down the hall for Shadow. He couldn't find him, which concerned him, but he froze when he sensed something wrong. He turned towards the entrance, the direction the unnerving feeling was coming from and where the shadow had originated, and narrowed his eyes, trying to see if anyone or anything was there. Nothing.

Raven, although nervous and frightened by the feeling and the storm, started to quietly walk towards the entrance, curious about what might be making him feel like that. He wished he had grabbed his pocketknife from the supply crate in his room, but he pushed the thought from his mind, focusing on what might be making him so nervous. As he drew closer to the entrance, another bolt of lightning split the darkness, and in that brief moment of light…

He saw a figure, bigger and taller than him, staring at him with glowing, burning emerald eyes, mere feet from the entrance…

"Shadow!!" Raven cried, suddenly terrified. The figure seemed completely unfazed, staring at him, its eyes narrowing further, and it took a step closer. "Shadow!! Ghost!! Help!!" he shouted, backing away, now scared for his life, fearing it was a soldier coming to take him away from Shadow. The figure made an unearthly, metallic growl, seeming to just brim with malice, and seemed to freeze Raven to the spot. He was too terrified to scream anymore, his eyes transfixed to the unknown intruder, as if hypnotized.

_/Raven!! Where are you?!/_ Shadow roared, his footsteps echoing from another corridor. The figure's head snapped towards the direction of his call, its eyes narrowing fiercely, another loud growl rumbling from it. A blinding flash of lightning and an angry rumble of thunder made Raven squeeze his eyes shut for a brief moment. When he opened them and looked out, the figure was gone. At that moment, Shadow appeared from the corridor to his left, roaring loudly with his wings spread.

_/Raven?! What's wrong?!/_ he growled, looking around frantically, as if expecting to see the devil himself standing in the chamber.

"T-there is… was _something_ out there Shadow…" Raven stuttered, still strangely terrified. Shadow narrowed his eyes and looked through the silvery curtain of rain, but he couldn't see anything.

_/There's nothing out there Raven, did the lightning just spook you?/_ Shadow cocked his head, walking over to him and leaning down.

"No… there was something out there Shadow, I don't know what it was, but it looked like you…" Raven said quietly, "… and, something about it… it was almost familiar… I don't know, but it scared me, I thought it was going to attack me…"

_/Raven…/_ Shadow said softly, nosing his shoulder gently, _/… don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you, I promise…/_ he reassured him, purring quietly. Raven sighed and closed his eyes, laying his hand on Shadow's throat, calming down a little. Shadow growled softly and gently closed his jaws on his shoulder, an Organoid version of a hug.

"Thank you Shadow…" Raven sighed, looking out through the curtain of rain where the figure had been standing. Something about the thing had seemed so familiar, but from where and why, he had no clue. He didn't like it, that was for sure, but why he had completely panicked, he didn't know. But now, Shadow was with him, and he knew the Organoid wouldn't let anything happen to him.

* * *

The following day, Raven got up early, before Shadow even started to stir. He was sitting on the cliff above he and Shadow's cave, looking across the crater-like depression the oasis and surrounding forest were nestled in. His legs were drawn up to his chest, his arms folded over them and his chin resting on them. He was thinking about what had happened the other night; the whole thing had severely shaken him. The fact that he had completely panicked frightened him, after all, he was a naturally brave person, and so him freaking out like that scared him.

'_What __was__ that thing?'_ Raven thought, _'It looked almost like an Organoid, but Organoids aren't that big… I think. And the spikes… I don't remember ever seeing any image of an Organoid with spines in my parents' old books. But, why did it look familiar? I think that's what scared me so much… but why did it look familiar in the first place? This whole thing doesn't make any sense…'_

He sighed and tightened his arms around his legs, watching the sun rise over the opposite cliff of the oasis. The warm light helped to calm him down, but he was still unnerved by the event. If he was right and there was another Organoid, he knew that was not good, for he remembered enough of his parents' teachings to know that rouge Organoids were highly dangerous.

Raven closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, letting his body relax. He let the thoughts leave his mind, and instead focused on his surroundings. Several desert wrens were chirping in the tall trees, their twittering seeming to form a song. Some frogs were croaking in the shallows of the lake, their calls quieting as the sun grew brighter. The gentle breeze that always seemed to inhabit the air of the oasis was once again slowly snaking through the trees, quietly rustling the leaves. The sand was wet from the earlier rain, silencing the movement of any of the forest animals, such as the deer and wolves. Most normal people would have found this little forest much too dangerous, due to the presence of all the wolves, snakes, mountain lions and such, but Raven had been here long enough that the predators and other animals had grown used to him, to the point where he could walk through the woods without worry of being attacked and without startling any of the otherwise nervous animals.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and that's when he heard something down in the trees. It sounded to Raven like a Zoid, but he couldn't really identify it by the noise. Raven opened his eyes and looked, and saw some of the trees move as a Zoid made its way through the trees towards the lake. He wondered briefly if it was Ghost or one of the Helkats or Rev Raptors that sometimes visited the oasis from the desert, or the Dark Horn he occasionally saw, but he thought it might be something new.

Curious, Raven stood up, brushing the clinging sand from his tan clothes, and starting down the path that lead to the valley floor. The thought of a new Zoid both excited and worried him, for he wondered if it was an Imperial scout or a stray, and if it was friendly or not. As he entered the trees, he lost track of the Zoid, but he knew that it was probably heading towards the lake for a drink or to cool down. The trail was muddy and slippery, but he kept his balance, keeping track of his surroundings, making sure nothing snuck up on him.

As he walked, he thought he could hear something moving towards him, but he quickly dismissed it. The trees were packed close enough together that most Zoids would have found it difficult, though not impossible, to get through to reach him, but they did make Raven feel a little safer. He knew, however, that if one of the several wild Zoids decided to make a go at him, he wouldn't be able to run or fight it or anything of the sort, and wouldn't have enough time to call Shadow or Ghost to save him. Lost in his thoughts, he became unaware of his surroundings, not noticing the quiet clanking as something approached him from behind…

Suddenly, he became aware of a loud whooshing near him; the breathing of a large Zoid, even larger than Ghost. Raven froze instantly, listening, before he recognized the breathing. He turned around, and sure enough a large wolf-like Zoid was standing over him, looking down at him with emerald eyes.

"Hey there Aurora, what're you doing here, girl?" Raven greeted the large Koenig Wolf, patting the Zoid's nose. Aurora growled happily and closed her glittering green eyes, wagging her tail happily. Her pure-white armor glistened in the sun, giving her the appearance that her armor was sculpted of ice and fresh snow. Her gear-caps were a pale ruby color, not really fitting in to the rest of her color scheme. Her claws looked almost as if fashioned from opal, glittering in different colors as the light struck them, the constantly changing colors and patterns attributing her name. Raven had always thought Koenigs were extinct, but apparently his parents had been wrong, for he had found this one near the ruins a year ago. She was very even-tempered and tame, almost tamer than Ghost, but she was still a wild Zoid with a will of her own, though she often followed him and Ghost around like a puppy.

The Zoid licked him and barked happily, making him laugh. Raven patted her nose again, making the Koenig Wolf growl again and wag her tail happily. Raven knew she was a wild Zoid like Ghost had been, for she was missing any weaponry or human-built attachments; she was a true-blood untamed and wild-born Zoid. Due to her trusting of him, Raven was able to communicate with her much like he could with Shadow, which was much deeper than most other humans could with their domesticated Zoids.

_/Hello Raven, what are you doing out here so early in the day?/_ the Zoid asked, cocking her head.

"I thought I saw a new Zoid and I wanted to check it out. I thought it might be Broken Claw or one of the other Revs coming in to drink or maybe Thunder the Dark Horn; I just wanted to see who it was." Raven answered, turning and looking in the direction of the lake where the Zoid or Zoids he had seen earlier had probably already reached.

_/You know, I think it may have been me…/_ Aurora said, smiling slightly, _/… I was just down getting a drink, so maybe you heard me… I thought I was a lot stealthier than that…/_ she shrugged, turning and starting to walk away.

"And just where are you going?" Raven said slyly, turning and looking at her.

_/I'm going back to sleep, I'm exhausted!/_ she yawned loudly, showing her large teeth, _/I didn't get any sleep with that rain last night…/_

"Me neither… by the way, have you seen another Organoid around here lately?" Raven asked, wondering if the Zoid had seen what the Organoid-like thing he had earlier.

_/Another Organoid?/_ Aurora said quizzically, _/… I thought Shadow was the only Organoid… am I mistaken?/_

"No, I may have imagined it…" Raven shrugged, "… go ahead and get some sleep, I'll let you know if I see it again." He said, nodding. Aurora yawned before she turned again, plodding off to her favorite sleeping spot near a shady spot of the cliff face. Raven turned and continued down the path, hoping to maybe catch a fish or two for breakfast for he and Shadow, before they became uncatchable due to swimming to the unreachable, deep spots in the middle of the lake to escape the heat.

Raven kept quiet and walked for the better part of twenty minutes, trying to be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. As he neared the lake, he began to hear something following him. At first he thought it was Aurora playing with him, but as it drew on, he realized it wasn't a Zoid but an animal trailing him. He looked over his shoulder and stopped, but he couldn't see anything.

The rustling around him started to grow louder, and he began to get nervous that maybe the family of mountain lions was stalking him, but it didn't sound like the large felines, whatever was stalking him was smaller. The thought of soldiers crossed his mind, but he dismissed it quickly, knowing the difference between the sounds an animal and a person makes when moving through brush. He looked back again, and managed to see one of the bushes rustling as something moved through it. That worried him, and he began to wonder if he should call for Aurora.

Suddenly, something rammed his legs from the front, making him stagger backwards with a shout of surprise. He back-stepped, but something was crouched behind his legs, making him trip and lose his balance, falling onto his back with a panicked cry. Before he could even react something large and heavy pounced on him, pinning him to the ground. He looked up in fear, and realized what it was- it was a wolf, a black and white wolf.

"Star! What the Helkat was that for?! You about gave me a heart attack!!" Raven yelled, his fear replaced by confusion about why the young wolf had 'attacked' him. The young female wolf was almost pure black with white husky-like markings, and a horse-like star on her forehead, hence her name. The black and white wolf's ears lowered and her eyes softened, as if his words had hurt him.

"C'mon Star, I'm not mad-" he started to say, but was cut-off as another wolf pawed at his shoulder from behind. He looked back, and saw another young wolf, this one brown and black with a white ring around his neck.

"You were part of this too, Sandy?! Man, who in the pack isn't out to get me?!" Raven laughed, making both wolves bark happily. Star growled quietly and stepped off him, and Sandy came around to his front. They both barked and licked his face, making him laugh loudly. "Alright I get it, you're both happy to see me. I need to come see you guys more often…" Raven snickered, petting both of the young wolves. Just when Raven thought he was safe, something large tackled him from his right, knocking him to the ground and standing on top of him. He looked up in confusion, and realized a large cougar was on top of him.

"Sedona?!" Raven shouted, "I should have realized… you just can't keep your nose out of things, can you?" Raven smirked, recognizing the cougar, reaching up and petting its head. The large feline purred loudly, golden eyes closing and ears laying back. "Okay girl, you had your fun, now could you please get your claws out of my ribs?" Raven smirked, feeling a slight pressure from the cougar's razor-like claws. The cat mewed and jumped off him, backing next to the two wolves.

"You know that's it, I'm never befriending another baby animal if they turn into crazy animals like you three…" Raven joked, narrowing his eyes at the unlikely trio. The two wolves whined loudly and Sedona lowered her head, as if that saddened them all. "I'm just kidding, but seriously, you don't need to nearly scare me to death every time I see you, okay?" Raven said, smirking. Star and Sandy growled in reluctant agreement and walked over to him, licking him, making him laugh. Sedona walked behind him and brushed against him like a domestic cat, purring loudly. The otherwise dangerous animals didn't at all threaten Raven, for he had known all of them since they had been cubs, so they had bonded to him closely. He had actually raised Sedona, for her mother had been shot by a soldier and died shortly after she had been born, so she had bonded very closely to him.

"Alright you guys, let me up, I need to get to the lake and catch some fish before it gets too hot." He said, hoping they would let him up. The three growled reluctantly and allowed him to get up, looking almost sad that he was leaving.

"Oh c'mon guys, you'll see me again soon…" Raven said, seeing their saddened faces, "… alright, you guys can come with me…" he sighed, knowing that's what they wanted. They perked up instantly, the two wolves barking and Sedona mewing happily. They stood up and bounded next to him, seeming to smile at him. Raven sighed and shook his head, starting again towards the lake.

'_Fishing is hard enough, but I bet it's a lot harder with two wolves and a cougar hovering over you the entire time…'_

* * *

**AN**- Haha, the old 'get behind him and push' gag never gets old. XP lol. A lot of new faces in this chapter. What, Raven can't make friends in the two years he's been at the oasis? And what's so wrong with them being two wolves, a cougar and a Koenig Wolf? XP lol. Now listen, the idea of the animals bonding to Raven isn't as outlandish as it seems. The oasis is isolated and many of the animals (excluding Sedona's case) haven't interacted enough with humans to fear them, so they aren't going to be scared or aggressive to them. And, since Raven raised Sedona and interacted with Star and Sandy while they were still young, they have grown used to him and don't see him as a threat or as prey. I wrote a report on this idea in middle school, I know what I'm talking about. XP This has also been true in the case of 'feral children', in the respect that local animals will grow used to a person's presence and not fear them. I think you already understood that. ^^;

Oh, and I uploaded a picture I drew of Ghost at my deviantART account!! You guys should check it out, I drew it with my new tablet and Photoshop that I got for Christmas!! Just use the link to my DA account located near the top of my account page here. Also, look through my gallery at all my other OCs! ;D

Remember, Raven hasn't been twisted by Prozen yet, so he's still the innocent and nice kid he was before his parents died. I bet you guys know who the figure was. A few aspects of this fic are based upon the first draft of my classic fic, _**The Dark Savior**_, which was typed on my Nintendo DS in December of '07. I may post the original version of that fic, but I doubt it, unless you want me too. ^^; But, this fic is not dead!! It'll shape up into a pretty large fic, with a possible sequel and such, so don't worry, it won't go away anytime soon. But, I hoped you liked it!! Thanks for reading and please leave a nice review!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


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